Under The Stars
by Forever Hidden Love
Summary: Ziva is kidnapped! Will they find her in time? TIVA. My first fanfic! Please R & R!
1. A Dream In The Night

_Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own NCIS._

_I hope you like it! It's my first fanfic so please R & R!_

_Forever_

* * *

Ziva entered her apartment, tired from a long day at work. Yawning, she threw her backpack on the floor and walked into the kitchen for a late night snack. 

Completing all of those reports had made her tired, bored and hungry.

She decided the refrigerator was the best place to find food. Scrounging through the fridge, she finally settled on a leftover sub.

But before she opened it, she changed her mind and put it back, instead settling on a granola bar. Opening the wrapper, the phone rang, and she reluctantly put her food down.

"Hello?"

Heavy breathing on the other end.

"Who is this?"

Click.

"Hmm, that was weird," she conceived, "Wrong number, maybe?"

Putting it out of mind, she changed into her pajamas and decided to get some rest.

"Finally," she picked up her half opened granola bar, plopped down on the couch, and clicked on the television...

----------

_Tony was searching the warehouse, looking for her. He had cleared every room so far and still had no luck. Where could she be?_

_He cleared the room he was in._

_Okay, next room. Looking around, eyeing for any kind of clue leading to where she is, there was still no sign of her...Dammit!_

_Knock!...Knock!_

" _What was that? Ziva? Ziva, is that you? Where are you?_ _Are you okay? Keep knocking, I'll find you!_"

"_Tony?" called a weak voice to the left, "Let me out of this room! It won't budge!"_

"_I'm coming! Hold on!" He turned around in the hallway, trying to find the door in the dim light. Upon seeing the steel door, he sprinted towards it._

_Tony twisted the door handle, but it was locked. _

_Desperately, he threw his whole weight against it, trying to break down the door. It didn't budge, but there was no giving up now. After many times of hurting and failing, the door budged a little._

_With new hope, and more bruises, he slammed into it one more time._

_Finally successful, he ran inside to find a shaky Ziva, her abdomen covered in blood. Wincing as she got up, she then limped towards him with almost no energy left. Tony ran to her and she fell into his arms, tired and weak._

_Making eye contact, he waited for an answer, any answer to explain the gash in her side and her disappearance._

"_I–I don't know what happened," she mumbled. "I just woke up and found myself here. I can't remember anything. You need to catch the guy who did this. I can't believe you found me."_

_He stroked her hair reassuringly, "I'm just glad I found you. You're safe now. I called an ambulance, so they should be here soon. You need to get out of here." Holding her protectively, he leaned in for a kiss..._

_----------_

Ziva gasped as she awoke with a start, grasping for air and a sense of reality. She glanced at the digital clock on the table next to her, "Shit. Three o'clock. I didn't mean to fall asleep out here."

Practically jumping off of the couch she turned off the television and headed towards the window for a breath of fresh air to clear her mind.

Thinking about it, she mused that the dream must have stemmed off of something that was on the T.V. while she was asleep.

But she still was questioning it.

More awake and still confused, she paced into the kitchen for a glass of water. She drank it slowly, sure to not gulp it down in anxiety.

Finishing the water, she realized that if she didn't go back to sleep, she wouldn't be able to make it through the day.

Not able to get the dream out of her head, she was still wondering if Tony ever had dreams like that. If he thought that there was something between them. But no, he wouldn't. He has a girlfriend, even though he tries to keep her hidden. Secretly, deep down inside, though she would never admit it, she was a little perplexed by this mystery woman.

Putting that thought aside, along with many others, Ziva walked to her bedroom.

Pulling back the covers, she gratefully climbed in and let the warm sheets enclose her. Seconds after her head hit the pillow, she dozed off...

----------

Ziva rolled onto her back, starting to wake up. Scratches again! She had heard scratching sounds coming closer every so often for a few minutes now. Whether they were real or she was imagining them, she couldn't tell.

Suddenly there was a hand there, reaching for her throat. She tried to fight back, but was in a position that was hard to escape. Her assailant had her pinned down. Trying desperately to scream for help or for air, he pressed his hand down harder on her neck. He was choking her and making her lungs hurt. A burning pain.

She was still trying to fight off her attacker, but was growing weaker. Soon she would pass out. She knew it. She kept fighting off the blackness, the inevitable darkness that would surround her. She tried to breathe in, attempting to put it off as long as possible.

The minutes were going by like hours and she was getting weaker with each passing second.

She got her break when her assailant shifted a little to the left. That gave her freedom enough to take his right arm and twist it a little. Feeling the affliction, he kicked her in the shin, causing her to wince long enough to grab an object close by. Raising his arm, he bashed the object into her forehead, making a big gash.

"Oooooooo owwwwww," came the pain, washing over her like a tsunami. Closing her eyes, not able to fight him anymore, she let the blackness engulf her.

He then picked up the unconscious Ziva and carried her out the door, her blood dripping on the wood floor...

* * *

_So what did you think? Reviews will inspire me to write more!_


	2. Missing

_Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, but I do own the characters I made up._

_Thanks for the reveiws everyone! I appreciated them! I already had this chapter written with the first, but I was reveiwing it before I put it up. Hope you enjoy! _

_Forever_

* * *

Ding! 

The elevator beeped signaling the correct floor.

DiNozzo stepped out of the elevator, preparing himself for a long day of work.

Glancing around, he saw and McGee, but not Gibbs or Ziva. He also saw a stack of reports piled on his desk, waiting for him._ Ugh_

"Hey Probie, where is everyone?"

"Good morning to you too, Tony. Gibbs is in MTAC with the Director...and Ziva hasn't come in yet"

"Well that's odd. Have you tried reaching her?"

"Home and cell phone both go to voicemail. I left her a message."

"I see. She's probably running a little late. Don't tell me that whole stack there is for me?"

"Yes it is and I have just as many."

"Grreeat" Tony groaned sarcastically, dragging out the word. He sat down in his seat, turned the computer on and pulled out a pen from the drawer of his desk.

Just then, Gibbs stormed in, not looking particularly thrilled. "Where the hell is Ziva?"

"Um, I don't know boss. She won't answer her home phone or cell. You look happy today."

Sending him a glare that could kill, "Well find her DiNozzo!"

"Yes Boss."

Putting down the phone, McGee spoke up, "We just got a call coming from Ziva's apartment complex about drops of blood around the door. Her neighbor stepped outside to go to work and saw the blood. She called the police who then called us. Think something happened to her?"

Ignoring the question, Gibbs responded, "Gear up! DiNozzo, gas the truck!"

* * *

The police were already there when they got there. A curvy blonde with blue eyes, a summer tan & high cheekbones walked over towards them, guided by a uniformed officer. 

"Agent Gibbs, this is Theresa Summers, your agent's next door neighbor. She called us when she found the blood outside of the door and we notified you when we realized who the apartment belonged to." Informed the officer.

Glancing at his badge, Gibbs said, "Thank you Officer Bales, we'll take it from here."

Officer Bales walked away, leaving Theresa Summers standing by herself.

"McGee! Take Miss Summers's statement! Meet us when you're finished! DiNozzo, with me!"

"Coming Boss! Do you think that's Ziva's blood?"

"I don't know DiNozzo, lets find out!"

* * *

"Miss Summers, what were you doing when you found the blood? I mean, how did you find it?" 

"Well I was on my way to work Agent McGee. I'm an accountant. I was in a hurry. I was running late for the third time this week and I was afraid my Boss would have my hide if I didn't get there on time. I stepped out of my apartment door, glanced down to straighten my skirt, and saw the redish-brown spots on the floor."

"What did you do then?"

"I ran back inside and called the police. They said they would be here soon and advised me not to touch anything. I didn't feel like waiting in my apartment for them so I went through the emergency exit down the other end of the hall. I can reassure you, I didn't touch anything."

"Have you ever talked to Officer David? Did you know she was an NCIS agent or say anything about it?"

"We've bumped into each other a couple of times before. She never said much, and always seemed like she was in a hurry to get somewhere. I was fine with it, I was never really up for talking anyway. It was just small talk, she never talked about her personal or work life.

"Are you in a personal relationship with anybody now, someone she could've run into while in the apartment building?"

"No, no I don't have a boyfriend. I've been too busy working to keep up a realationship. My Boss makes sure of that. Do you have anymore questions Agent McGee? I have to be somewhere soon and I don't want to miss my appointment with an employee about their job."

"Um, no I think that's all. If we have anymore questions, we'll contact you. Thank you for your time."

* * *

_Okay, sorry if this chapter is a little shorter, and boring! But hang in there! It gets better! I promise!_


	3. What Happened?

_Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, but I own the characters I made up._

_Thanks for reading and reveiwing everyone! You all give me inspiration! Enjoy! _

_A/N: Sorry if the characters are a little OOC! I do my best!_

_Forever_

* * *

Tony and Gibbs reached the second floor, looking for the blood. They spotted it at about the same time, both moving silently towards it, observing. 

"Well judging by the size of the pools of blood, it doesn't look fatal. What do you think Boss?"

"I'd say the same thing. Photograph the blood then swab it for a DNA match."

"On it Boss! Tell me if you find anything interesting!"

Nudging the door a little, Gibbs found out that it was open. He stepped inside, careful not to ruin on any evidence as he entered her apartment. Pulling his gun out of its holster, he cleared every room, one by one, just in case. He reholstered his gun.

By then, Tony and McGee had finished with their tasks and had entered as well.

Tony was the first to speak, "When I examined the door handle, there were a bunch of little scratches in it. My best guess would have been that the lock was picked...And that's how the, um, attacker probably got in. I did get a fingerprint. I'll get it down to Abby as soon as we get back."

"Hey Boss," adressed McGee, "The trail of blood on the floor leads to her bedroom. The pools get bigger as they go along."

"Good job Probie!" Tony replied sarcastically and slapped McGee on the back, "Lead the way!"

McGee entered her bedroom first, followed by Gibbs, then Tony. Stopping, they took in the scene. The sheets on the bed were wrinkled and bloody, suggesting a struggle. The pillow was covered in a red-brown color. Next to the bed was a nightstand, where a book and a cell phone lay. Also, right in front of the nightstand on the floor, was a broken and bloody lamp. Smashed so much that it couldn't even be repaired. Glass lay on the floor around that area and some even on the pillow. The window was open and a nice breeze blew through, ruffling the sheets slightly.

The room smelled strongly of blood, and even though there was no dead body, Tony couldn't help but gag a little. After all, This was his partner's blood he was smelling. Well, most likely. They still needed Abby to confirm it.

Tony couldn't help wondering what went on here. Everything was so unorganized and out of place. His mind wandered at the thought of not ever seeing Ziva again. That upset him. Even though he had a girlfriend, Jeanne, whom he liked a lot, he still thought there was something between him and Ziva. She had started becoming more hostile towards him when he started dating Jeanne. It made him uncomfortable and sort of sad. His mind wandered farther and deeper. He couldn't go through it again. Going through Kate's death was hard enough, but Ziva's, he couldn't take! He had loved Kate, and was pretty sure that he loved Ziva now, even when they insulted each other. If, no, when they find her, he made a promise to himself to tell her how he really felt before Jeanne came, and even now.

Interrupting his train of thoughts, Gibbs barked out an order, "McGee, photograph! DiNozzo, Sketch! Both of you, bag and tag! I'll be back soon." Gibbs stormed out the of door, leaving Tony and McGee by themselves.

"Wow. Gibbs is really pissed," McGee surmised.

"Yeah, that's just putting it mildly. It's just you and me now Probie. I'll take the bed, you can have the floor."

"Why do I get the floor? You don't always get to decide, you know."

"Now McGee, who's the senior field agent?" Chuckling, "Oh right, that would be me! Now get to work Probie before Gibbs comes back and head-slaps you!"

"Whatever Tony," McGee mumbled, kneeling on the floor. He shot some photos of the lamp, the nightstand, and the area around them. After photographing the floor, he took pictures of the bed. After a shot from every angle, he gathered the shattered lamp and put it in an evidence bag, careful not to break it even more. He then lifted the sheets off of the floor to look under the bed. Nothing there. He swabbed the pools of blood around there and then dusted the nightstand for fingerprints. He found quite a few, but figured they were all probably from Ziva herself. Finishing up he checked in with Tony, "Find anything good DiNozzo?"

"Not really, only a few strands of hair, but they all look like hers. What about you?"

"Only some fingerprints on the nightstand. I'll have Abby run them and also examine whats left of this lamp," McGee held up the peices of the lamp in its evidence bag.

Tony glanced around, doing one last checkover to see if they missed anything. Satisfied he turned to leave the bedroom, "Let's look at the living room while Gibbs is still gone."

* * *

Gibbs knocked on the door of the apartment on the other side of Ziva's. Getting no answer, he knocked louder, pounding his fist on the door. Still with no answer, he turned and walked to the door across from that one. Gibbs was determined to question everybody on this floor. There were six apartment rooms on the whole floor in all, so he figured it shouldn't take to long. 

Not expecting an answer this time, he knocked on it and a voice replied, "Just a minute!"

Thirty seconds later, a man of about sixty answered, "Yes? What do you want?"

Gibbs held up his badge for him to see, "Federal agent, NCIS. I have some questions that won't take long."

Starting to close the door the man muttered, "I'm sorry. I don't know anything!"

Gibbs stuck his foot between the door and the door frame and pushed it back open, "Sir, I just need to know if you heard or saw anything last night. My agent is missing, she lives in the apartment over there." He pointed to the center apartment across the hall, "There is blood indicating a struggle and I need to know if you noticed anything out of place."

"Oh that young lady who lives over there with the dark curly hair? Yes I know her. She never says much, but i don't know if it's just me. Shame something might've happened to her. I don't remember anything unordinary that happened last night. Of course I went to sleep early, around 7:00 and didn't wake up until 7:00 this morning. I'm a heavy sleeper. I've got to go now, my breakfast is ready," said the man, his voice full of irritation.

Before he fully closed the door, Gibbs replied, "Thanks for your time. If you remember something, tell one of my agents. We should be around here for awhile."

Gibbs questioned the other two people who lived in the next two apartments, but like the old man, they witnessed nothing.

* * *

_Okay,__ you all are wondering about Ziva, right? Yes I know, you've all been waiting to find out what happened to her! Well I promise you that the next chapter WILL have Ziva in it!!! Thanks for reading!_


	4. Still There

_Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of NCIS. Only the ones I made up._

_Sorry it took so long to write it. I've been really busy the past few weeks and haven't had time to get on the computer that much to write it down._

_Okay, so you've all been waiting to find out what happened to Ziva? Well, here she is._

* * *

As Ziva regained conciousness, pain came rushing back into her head. She didn't remember anything that had happened the past night. 

She opened her eyes, expecting to see her bedroom, but instead found herself in a small square room. The room was made of gray colored stone that was very cool. There was barely enough room for her to stretch out fully. Her hands were cuffed in front of her, the metal very tight on her wrists. Making it impossible to get out of them, unlike with regular handcuffs. The chain between the cuffs was unusually long, though. The handcuffs were hooked to the wall by a think link chain.

There was a small window about seven feet from the floor, the window about twelve inches by twelve inches. It was too high for Ziva to reach, even when she was standing up. The room was taller than it was wider. It looked like a small back room in someone's basement.

There was a pillow on the floor where her head had been laying, it had a few drops of blood on it. But other than that, there was nothing else in the room. Starting to recover from her amnesia, she realized what happened. She was kidnapped in her own apartment during the night.

Remembering also about her forehead, she put her fingers to the gash but instead felt a bandage on it. Someone fixed up her head to stop the bleeding. Did that mean that she wasn't meant to be killed, yet?

She also noticed that she was still in her night clothes, which consisted of a red tank top and matching shorts. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck, but the Star of David necklace she usually wore wasn't there. Her weapons and cell phone were left in her apartment, so she had no way to escape or contact the outside world. What she had now was pretty useless.

She didn't even have a clue who would have kidnapped her or why they wanted to.

She took another look around the room, her eyes wandering to the door. It looked to be made of pure steel and at least two inches thick. It also had no handle or lock on this side of the door, but had chains going across it from side to side.

Thinking that maybe the chains would be easy to break, she started pulling at them, trying to break them from the wall. There were four thick chain links in total.

After ten minutes of prying at the chains, she gained nothing except for sore fingertips and broken fingernails.

She decided she wan't getting anywhere with it. Tired and in pain, she laid down on the floor, her head resting on the flat pillow. Ziva wanted to clear her head and relax. And maybe a solution would come to her, or at least an idea of what happened and who kidnapped her. She was thinking about her life, and who she could've ticked off recently.

Then she heard it. It sounded like footsteps trotting down stairs. Ziva picked her head off of the pillow and pressed her ear on the cold ground. She listened to them for a few seconds, they were coming closer.

The footsteps were soft and light, probably someone who didn't way much. The shoes sounded like sneakers did when they were first worn, a little squeak after each step.

Listening harder, she also determined that there was another pair of footsteps, these ones slower and heavier sounding.

Then she heard voices. Two faint voices that were speaking low. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but she could determine that there was a male voice and a female voice. They were getting closer. She got up and pressed the side of her face to the door to hear the voices better. She could only make out a little of what they were saying.

"What is this all about?" asked the male voice.

"None of your business, Wakes." said the female voice.

"You know that I can't keep her here long. The police will come searching and we'll be busted. You have to let her go or kill her. I can't get busted again or else I'll have to go to jail for awhile. And you still owe me my money." complained the male voice.

"Oh stop all your whining. She's going to hear us if you don't shut up!" ordered female voice, then said something indistinguishable.

Suddenly, the voices stopped. All was quiet, until the locks on the other side of the door started moving. Different keys were shoved in the keyhole, turning and twisting to find the right one. Finally, a lock clicked at the other end. The door opened a crack. A hand reached through and snapped the chains with clippers.

Ziva debated whether to grab the hand and twist it, taking the clippers and stabbing it with them as well. Decision made, she reached forward, pulled the metal clippers out of the hand, took the hand, and twisted it back. That caused a yelp from the hand's owner. Ziva held onto the hand and pulled the clippers high over her head.

She forced her hand with the clippers down into the hand she was holding. Blood trickled out, and a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air. Good, she thoguht. She raised the clippers again, ready to strike, but the hand disappeared. She slowly lower the clippers.

A voice then spoke to her. Well, more like yelled.

"You son of a bitch! I took good care of you and this is what I get? Nooo! You will get it! Later on! I promise!" the male voice screamed, then slammed the door shut in her face. She heard the lock click shut and sighed in exasperation. At least the chains were gone and she had the clippers now.

Ziva sat down on the floor and listened to them retreating. Their footsteps got softer and the excited whispers were no longer there. She was once again left in silence. Sometimes, she hated silence.

* * *

"Ouch! Damnit! Stop! That hurts!" he cried, squeezing the arm of the chair. 

"Shhh Darren! Someone might hear you! And we don't want that. It's not a bad cut, so stop your crying already!"

"Well it hurts like hell! Would you like to feel the pain? And you never did tell me your name."

She rolled her eyes, "My name isn't inportant. Now if you let me fix it up, it won't hurt, as much. I hired you to kidnap her and make her life miserable, not to get yourself hurt. You said you've done this many times and have never been caught."

"Yes I have. Only, my victims, never made it out alive. Nor were they ever found." A devilish grin started to form on his face.

* * *

_What do you all think? Reviews Please!_


	5. More Info

_Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS._

_Okay, here's the next chapter. Hope you like!_

_A/N: Sorry it took so long, my internet was down for over a week and I had no access to fanfiction. I've also been really busy with other things, but I wrote whenever I could._

_Forever_

* * *

Abby was pacing in the lab, sipping her almost gone Caf-pow. She was worried. Even though her and Ziva weren't the best of friends, they had grown closer in the past two years. And she was still a friend. 

Abby was waiting for the blood sample results and the fingerprint matches. Usually she was patient with these tests, but today she was antsy. Must be all of the caffiene, she thought.

Abby wanted to say that she wasn't worried, but that would be like lying to herself. After seeing those crime scene photos, she wouldn't rest until Ziva was found. She couldn't even imagine what happened to her. Well technically, she could, but she didn't want to.

"C'mon guys! I need answers and fast! Can't you go any faster?" she yelled at the machines, even though she knew that they couldn't.

"Lonely in here Abs?" Gibbs spoke, as he entered her lab. "Got anyhting for me?"

"Working on it. Is that for me?" she said, pointinng to the Caf-pow in his hand.

"Only if you got something." Teasing her, he raised it in front of himself.

"That's not fair! I did find out something. All of the blood samples match. So all of the blood is probably Ziva's." she almost choked on the last sentence. "I also am running the fingerprint I found on the shattered lamp. All of them were Ziva's, except for one. I should have it soon."

The computer beeped, signaling that the fingerprint was found.

Abby hurried over to her computer, clicked the mouse, and brought the information up on the big screen so Gibbs could see. "It looks like this fingerprint belongs to Darren Wakes. Hasn't been to jail, but has been suspected of different kidnappings. Never been proven though. Also has a history with drugs. Here I'll write the address down and you can check it out."

"Thanks Abs." he gave her the Caf-pow and took the sticky note with the address on it.

Abby started sipping it and watched Gibbs leave. "Job well done!" she announced to her machines.

* * *

Ziva was trying to break the chain linking the cuffs on her wrist together. But it was hard to break a thick chain with one hand. After several tries, she was about to give up, but got an idea. 

She stretched out as far as she could on the floor, on her stomach. Then she stretched her hands out as far as the chain would let her. She opened the clippers and put the chain in between the blades. Then she used her arm and elbow to put pressure on them.

It took awhile but she finally started to cut through it. Before she could get too far into it though, her arm got tired and she had to stop. After a few minutes, she started the process back up again.

Becasue of her position and condition, Ziva had to keep stopping and starting. It took a few hours to get halfway through the chain. By then, she figured they weren't coming back for a little while longer, so she deceided to take a nap. Resting her head on the pillow, she dozed off.

* * *

As he was getting off of the elevator, coming from Abby's lab, Jen stopped him. 

"Jethro, have you got anything concerning Ziva."

"Only an address..."

* * *

"Hurry up Probie! If you don't catch up, Gibbs will leave us behind and go by himself. He's already been waiting a long time. " 

"Tony, it was only a minute and I'm sure he wouldn't leave us behind."

"That's what you think, McGee."

As they neared the car, they grew silent and their faces held a grim expression. Not unlike the face of their Boss. Consumed with their own thoughts, the car was silent most of the way there. Gibbs just stared at the road, his eyes never wandering. His thoughts on the other hand, were all over the place.

Tony, in the passengers seat next to Gibbs, was trying to figure out his emotions. Yes, he would be happy to see her, alive. And no, he didn't want to see her hurt. And he definetly didn't want to see her dead, like Kate was only a short period of time before. He knew it would be harder to handle another loss after Kate. But would he ever be able to think of her the same way again? She was kidnapped, but she wasn't the kind of person you ever expected to be kidnapped. She was the kind who could take care of herself and easily kick someone's butt. But now, she was vulnerable. In all of the time he had known her, Tony had never thought of Ziva as vulnerable. Not ever. Now, he didn't know what he felt about her. There was always a slight attraction felt for her. But it never became anything more. Especially now since he had Jeanne. Jeanne he thought, did he really, truly love her?

McGee was also thinking about Ziva. From the start, he had been nicer to her when the others weren't, and she had somewhat returned the gratitude. He also knew that she was tough and loyal, and he thought that she was kind of hot. Abby on the other hand wasn't very fond of her, and that was hard on him. Abby was a good friend and he wanted to stay her friend, but he also wanted to be Ziva's friend. He just didn't want to see her hurt. Or worse, dead. Death was a word that had penetrated the team not too long ago, and he didn't think it would be any easier to handle again. Unless they found her in time.

Gibbs was concerned about Ziva. Usually he was not, though. He knew that she knew how to take care of herself, but sometimes, he made exceptions. One thing he promised himself though, was not to show it on his face. He didn't want to worry the younger agents more, because they knew that when he was worried, there was trouble. Gibbs glanced at Tony and McGee. He could tell that they were thinking the same thing he was. The team couldn't suffer another loss after Kate.

* * *

Ziva woke up, startled, wondering if she heard them coming down the stairs again. 

"Ohhhhh" She sat up, moaning. Her head was not getting any better and being in this place was certainly not helping.

Feeling as refreshed as she would ever get sleeping on a cold, hard floor, she decided to continue to break the chain.

* * *

Darren Wakes glanced nervously out of the window of his house. He had been jumpy ever since his partner in crime went out to get some work done. She should be back around this time. That's what she wrote on the note she left him when she left that morning. He had been watching the television, the volume low, when she had walked out saying she would be back later. He hadn't realized that she had left him a note. 

The note said:

**I should be back around 5:00. Get ready. If I am later than 6:00, go on without me. You know what to do. Leave NO evidence. Go crazy.**

**- You Know Who**

Truthfully, Darren hoped that she would be back in time. He did not want to do this particular job on his own.

* * *

_So what did everyone think? This chapter took a while, I know, but hopefully it was worth it. R and R please!_


	6. Dead Or Alive?

_Next chapter is up! This one should be kind of boring. Nothing really exciting happens. Hope you enjoy!_

_Forever_

* * *

"Are we almost there Boss?" Tony asked quietly, who was getting more and more restless with every passing minute. For the past two days, he had been antsy, and tired. Very tired. 

Tony turned to look at Gibbs, who was lost in thought, and realized that he wasn't going to answer his question. Leaning back in the seat a little, he yawned, and tried to calculate how much sleep he had gotten since Ziva went missing. Nobody went home last night, and almost everyone stayed up trying to find one little lead or hint as to where she was. Tony knew that even if he hadn't worked the whole night, he wouldn't have gotten much sleep anyhow.

By now they were out in the country, speeding through winding roads and steep hills. It had been about a half an hour since they had left headquarters. McGee reminded himself that if Abby did find anything more, she would call him and let him know. Even though she didn't care for Ziva that much, she did care about the team altogether. He wondered, that if Ziva lived through this, would she and Abby find peace. He saw how Ziva was trying to fit in, and wanted Abby to like her, no matter how much she didn't show it.

* * *

Ziva was becoming worried, horror strickening thoughts running through her mind. She didn't have much time left. If her kidnappers were smart, they would kill her soon and not leave a trace behind. 

She wished she had a watch, her cell phone or something. She desperately needed to know what time it was. She needed to know how long she had been in this awful place.

She was almost through the chain that cuffed her wrists together. But she was too exhausted to finish it. It had had probably been at least a day since the two had come by. Since then she had hoped that they would come back, not to hurt her, but to bring food. But deep down she doubted that, after what she did, they would be any nicer to her.

Ziva tried to move around in a different position. Any position was better than the one that she was in now. She was lying face down on her pillow, her legs and arms bent akwardly to fit in the tiny space she had.

Sighing, she rested her head against the wall. She was now in a sitting position, legs bent, and arms resting on top of her knees.

Ziva let herself think about the things that she hadn't wanted to before. She wanted to live. There was too much in life to die right now. She wanted to go home. She wanted to sleep in her bed with her warm sheets wrapped around her. She wanted to eat the food that she can cook. She wanted to see everyone who was at NCIS, especially Tony.

Tony? Why was she thinking about Tony at a time like this. Ziva shook her head, shaking the thought out of her mind as well.

She pushed the stray hairs out of her face. Another thing she wanted was a shower. Her body was as dirty as her hair and her clothes were a mess.

Ziva took her hair out of the ponytail it was in and examined it closely. It was grimy and sweaty, and caked with blood. She pulled it back again and tied the scrunchie tight. "Why me?"

She kicked the wall hard.

Sighing again, she forced back the tears that threatened to spill.

* * *

Darren tapped his fingers impatiently against the kitchen table. He watched the digital clock as it changed from 5:26 to 5:27. It was getting closer. 

Picking up the newspaper he had sat down temporarily, he started to read where he had left off. He paused in his reading, trying to absorb the information he had just read. Glancing at the clock again, he found that time hadn't changed.

Since a little before 4:00, Darren had been glancing at the clock every few seconds.

Throwing the paper done, he slammed his fist onto the table angrily. "Damnit! How did I get mixed up in this?"

Ever since he could remember, Darren was a troublemaker. Always getting into trouble, his parents had sent him to boot camp when he was thirteen years old. He still resented his parents for that.

When he was fifteen, he started drinking and doing drugs. By twenty, he was doing small jobs for different people with grudges. Stealing and lying. He had always been exceptionally good at those things.

Now he was thirty-four, and he was about to commit a serious crime. He knew that if he were caught, it would be over. They would dig into his past and be not only charged for murder, but from all of the things he had done in the past.

He walked over to the drawer and pulled it out. It glinted in the sun, polished and ready for use. Running his finger on the edge, he thought about how much pain it would inflict when pushed deeper into skin.

He carefully laid it on the table, for when she got back.

* * *

It had been almost an hour since they had left NCIS. Tony wondered when they were going to get there. He also wondered if Ziva was still alive. 

Growing tired, he shifted his position to help him stay up. He figured it shouldn't be too much longer until they find the place.

Glancing at Gibbs, Tony saw that his face creased with worry. Every passing minute made Tony more and more anxious to find her. He wanted to see her again, to see her eyes filled with life. He needed to be with her everyday. Suddenly he was consumed with thoughts of Ziva, and he knew what was happening.

McGee had fallen asleep for some time, but now he had woken up. He looked at his watch and sat up, staring into space. Thinking, he had done a lot of that lately.

Gibbs knew that with every minute, he was getting closer and closer to finding Ziva. His gut told him that he was close.

* * *

_So what did you think? Any suggestions? R and R please!_


	7. The Last Breath

_I'm really Really sorry it's been such a long time since I've been able to update. I've been super busy with school and homework and I hardly have any free time. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It was fun to write!_

_Forever_

* * *

6:00 had come, and his partner was nowhere to be seen. Darren fumed at the thought of completing the job alone.

He grabbed it off of the counter and stormed down the stairs. He was determined to make her pay for his partner's lack of keeping promises, and his hand.

* * *

Ziva rolled over on the floor. "Ouch!" she half-whispered, hitting the clippers with her arm.

She sat up slowly, pressing her fingers to her temples to massage them. Her headache was getting worse and she thought it would soon explode.

The door burst open, shattering whatever peace had become of her. Before she had a chance to move, a man yanked her up off of the floor and pulled her after him.

Too stunned to think clearly, and trying to fight off her headache, she let him lead her to another room right next to the previous one. This one was bigger and had some lighting. It also had chains against the wall farthest from them. Ziva shivered, half from it being cold and damp, and half from the realization of her situation.

Wakes threw her against the wall and flicked on the light overhead. Ziva stumbled, trying to catch her balance. He grabbed her wrists and held them apart. Then with one quick movement, he took the knife and sliced the chain linking her wrists together. He was about to cuff her hands in the chains on the walls when three furious people with guns stormed in.

* * *

It was a few minutes after 6:00 when Gibbs finally slowed down and stopped in front of a small cabin. He leaped out as soon as the car was shut off and the other agents follwed suit. They burst into the cabin, drew their guns, and cleared every room upstairs. Gibbs opened a door connected to the kitchen that led to a basement.

Gibbs first, then McGee and Tony all ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. At the end of the stairs, there were two doors. Gibbs threw open the one on the left and it revealed a small room with a pillow and clippers lying in the middle.

Tony pushed open the door of the other room and in a split second, all three were in the room.

Seeing Ziva alive sent relief all through Tony's body.

* * *

The first thing that came to mind was to panic and surrender. Then he thought no, he could still finish the job.

Darren turned Ziva around until she was facing the agents and put the knife to her throat.

Gibbs spoke firmly. "Darren Wakes. NCIS. Put the knife down and nobody will get hurt." He took a step towards them.

Darren pushed the knife deeper into Ziva's throat. A tiny stream of blood trickled down her neck. "Come any closer and I'll do it!" He shouted.

* * *

It was after 6:00 already. She had planned to be back earlier, but something had come up. She pulled into the driveway, and noticed with worry, the other car that didn't belong to either of them.

"Shit." She mumbled. She sprinted to the house and down the stairs, quietly. Seeing both doors open, she pressed hersef against the wall adjacent to the door to the bigger room, so she wouldn't be seen.

She peered around the doorway and took in the scene. The three strangers had their backs turned, and Darren was freaking out.

She decided to take a chance. She lifted the gun out of its holster and aimed.

* * *

A bullet plunged into Ziva's chest. For a moment, it seemed as if the world had stopped spinning, as everyone was shocked at what had just happened.

Tony, on the other hand, ran to Ziva, who was clutching her chest in an attempt to stop the pain. She sank to her knees and began to cough until she choked herself. Blood was pouring out and forming a pool under her. In a split second, she had collapsed and her breathing became irregular.

Tony dropped to the floor on his knees and addressed the wound. It was deep and it looked as if the bullet had not exited. Tony slipped off his jacket and tied it around her thin, limp body. He saw the thin bandage wrapped around her head from the first assault. Who had been so kind to bandage her head? He thought sarcastically.

Darren had dropped the knife that was in his hand. McGee rushed over and slammed him against the wall. He yanked out hand cuffs and snapped them on before he was given a fight. Quickly, McGee pulled out his cell phone and called an ambulance.

After the bullet was shot, Gibbs had immediately reacted. He lifted his gun and fired at the shooter. The shooter went down as the bullet left the gun and Gibbs went over to pull off the ski mask covering the culprit's face.

The face of Teresa Summers glared up at him, while she held her arm in place. Blood was seeping freely out of her skin, through her sleeve and down her arm to the floor. Gibbs glared back and held the gun aimed at her, even though he knew she wouldn't try.

Ziva's irregular breathing had stopped, and Tony immediately started giving her CPR. Tony gazed into Ziva's eyes and begged her to come back. He could see the life draining out of them. "No Ziva. No! Come back! The team needs you! Ziva, come on. Don't let go!" Ziva's eyelids closed, and Tony was close to panicking.

* * *

Immediately after Ziva had gotten shot, she knew it wouldn't be long before she passed out. She had tried to breathe, but it was too painful. She had heard Tony's words of encouragement, his begging her to stay with them, but she just couldn't do it any longer. She lowered her eyelids.

The last thing she saw was Tony's concerned face bent over her. And her last breath was of the sweet cologne Tony wore.

* * *

_Oooo, Dun Dun Dun! Cliff - Hanger! What happenes next? Did you like this chapter? I know it was kind of short, but it was revealing. Please review!_


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